Can i eat burrata cheese when pregnant? There are no risks with the pasteurization of milk
Cheeses are often under the magnifying glass when it comes to associating them with the diet during pregnancy. Can they be eaten during the 9 months of waiting? Surely a lot of attention is paid to the nutrition of a woman who is expecting a baby, so it is useful to know before childbirth which foods are strongly advised against and those indicated. Before continuing, watch this video: list the foods to watch out for during gestation.
Dairy products in pregnancy
The ideal diet of a pregnant mother is characterized by the right mix of macronutrients, lots of vegetables, fruit and proteins. Having a balanced diet during pregnancy is the best choice to carry on a peaceful and uncomplicated gestation: your health and that of the baby are the most important things!
In 9 months it's easy to put on a few extra pounds, but if you balance your foods well you shouldn't have any particular problems disposing of them after giving birth.
Pregnancy is a magical and beautiful period, however it is often studded with doubts and unknowns that also concern the food sphere, in order not to expose the fetus to any risk. During gestation it is important to follow precise rules at the table, which is why we want to clarify whether it is possible to eat cheese when pregnant.
Dairy products need to be part of your meal plan, because they allow you to get the correct dose of calcium. There are tons of them, so there will be some strains that are better suited to your particular state and some that aren't. The main risk with cheeses in pregnancy is represented by the bacterium Listeria, a microorganism usually present in raw milk and soft cheeses, which is able to pass the disease listeriosis to the fetus. It is really important to try to prevent the onset of this problem, because listeriosis can cause premature births or abortions. Consequently, all products derived from raw and unpasteurized milk should be banned from the 9-month meal plan.
Milk pasteurization, what is it?
The solution to be able to eat cheeses when pregnant is to make sure that they have undergone a specific process, able to protect pregnant women from any bacteria. This is the pasteurization; this is the term used to indicate a thermal recovery process to which raw milk is subjected. Through pasteurization, milk becomes a totally safe food to consume because thanks to the high temperatures all pathogenic microorganisms are destroyed and enzymes are eradicated. The milk with which the different cheeses are produced is subjected to a specific temperature, specially designed to ensure that it remains high, but not so much that the milk is boiled, to ensure that the food preserves its organoleptic characteristics. In a nutshell, pasteurization eliminates germs that are harmful to your health and that of the baby you are carrying, but at the same time ensures the preservation of the nutritional qualities of the whey. A certainty that can keep you calm until the day of the birth!
Even the milk of the burrata is pasteurized and therefore turns out to be one of the fresh cheeses allowed during the period of pregnancy. Let's find out a little more about this typical dairy product of our country (especially in the South) and then broaden the discussion on the intake of fresh cheeses, aged cheeses and soft cheeses in gestation.
What is burrata?
Burrata is one of the most famous and exclusive cow's milk derivatives. It has made its way around the world thanks to its detailed structure (just look at the photos to see that little bag of spun dough on top); round and wide at the base, narrow and tied at the top. Inside there is a very fresh stracciatella with an unmistakable surprise, which makes it loved by adults and children. The burrata is an "excellence of Italian gastronomy and remains one of the typical Apulian products currently undergoing recognition of the Community IGP mark.
A delight that in summer goes very well with vegetables from the garden, tomatoes and some spices. How can you give it up? It has such a soft and creamy texture that you might think it is not pasteurized, but luckily burrata falls into the category of cheeses. pasteurized and therefore it is safe to take during pregnancy. After the pasteurization of the burrata milk, fermentation is carried out in a natural way, with selected enzymes. In a subsequent phase, the rennet, always natural, is added, which stimulates the coagulation of the milk and then it is left to rest until it is spun in boiling water, worked by expert hands and divided to create the typical containment bag: the soft filling inside is made up of strips of mozzarella and cream, or the famous stracciatella.
Can you eat burrata when pregnant even if it is caloric?
Eating burrata when pregnant is allowed; like many fresh cheeses it gives relief for those typical discomfort of gestation that affect the intestine and digestion. It is an absolutely digestible product and if taken in moderate doses, it is perhaps one of the best dairy products in terms of intestinal tolerability. Stracciatella is also allowed in pregnancy , but perhaps you had already guessed it because it is contained within the burrata. However, be careful to maintain a balanced diet rich in nutrients that are as different as they are healthy: the burrata contains cream, which is essential in order to be produced by tradition, and for this reason it turns out to be a very caloric ingredient, of which you absolutely must not eat too much.
If you pay attention to the doses and frequency of consumption (maximum a couple of times a week) you should not have problems taking burrata during pregnancy.
The speech is clearly different if you are lactose intolerant, but since it is not a condition linked to pregnancy, you have probably already adopted alternative solutions to obtain benefits similar to those of milk. In case of abdominal bloating or headaches due to lactose intolerance you can try a delactosed, lactose-free burrata; it should be more digestible.
Cheeses allowed during pregnancy: seasoned and fresh
Many expectant mothers love to taste local cheeses on their plates; we are lucky enough to live in a country rich in these goodness and it is difficult to resist! From early childhood our meals are characterized by dairy products and cheeses of all kinds, but in pregnancy the most suitable are aged cheeses and fresh cheeses.
The best known aged dairy products are pecorino, parmesan and parmesan. They are all types accepted for the diet of a pregnant woman because they contain less water than soft cheeses and bacteria do not have an easy life in a habitat with this characteristic. Pecorino in particular is ideal before childbirth; it has the right amount of sodium and a good level of flavor. Grana and Parmesan also provide fundamental nutrients in a mother's diet, such as proteins, calcium and other micro-nutrients useful for the fetus.
Other non-ripened cheeses are still safe in the gestational period, as long as the milk has been subjected to pasteurization. All fresh cheeses that therefore undergo this hot processing are to be considered not harmful to the health of the unborn child: this is the case of ricotta (sheep and cow), mozzarella and caciotta.
Fresh cheeses allowed during pregnancy are ideal in summer, when the desire to cook is low and there is a tendency to cook only cold dishes. Mozzarella in the 9 months of waiting is the most used, due to its high intake of calcium and proteins that promote the development of the baby's bones; even in its buffalo version. Buffalo mozzarella is allowed during pregnancy but should be consumed sparingly, given the high number of calories compared to cow mozzarella.
Ricotta in pregnancy helps fight weight gain and keep cholesterol monitored. Light and low in calories, it is considered a low-fat cheese useful for relieving gastroesophageal reflux, typical of the last weeks of gestation.
Not only that, if you are craving sweet during pregnancy you can use ricotta as a light ingredient for your recipes; good, healthy and delicious!
Is smoked cheese allowed in the diet of a future mother? Being a hard cheese made with pasteurized milk, the answer is yes. Ideal for mothers and babies, scamorza cheese is rich in proteins and calcium, excellent for muscle building; however, its consumption should not be exceeded given the high number of kcal. During pregnancy you can also indulge in smoked scamorza as the properties are similar and only the flavor changes. Ditto when it comes to smoked provola in gestation, ok but in small doses.
Mom, you have a nice variety of dairy products to tap into for your diet! Always opt for organic products and possibly from local crops. Green light to the cheese you like best, as long as it is not a derivative of unpasteurized milk.
What are unpasteurized cheeses
Dairy products prohibited during pregnancy are non-pasteurized dairy products, made from milk that is not processed in the heat. All soft and semi-soft cheeses that have matured with molds fall into this type. The best known soft cheeses are brie, camembert, roquefort and gorgonzola; each of these is characterized by blue veins, derived precisely from molds. All soft dairy products are risky if taken during pregnancy because they can be contaminated with Listeria.The bacterium does not involve particular risks for the expectant mother, but for the fetus yes, and also important ones (meningitis, septicemia, premature birth, abortion). Listeria intoxication is most transmissible in the first three months of gestation and looks like a normal flu: the expectant mother may complain of a high fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by intestinal disorders.
Always check the origin of dairy products in the kitchen and if in doubt, consult with the gynecologist.
